


Becoming Something

by ladygray99



Category: Numb3rs
Genre: Community: n3teamchallenge, Cross-Posted on Tumblr, Gen, Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-01
Updated: 2011-11-01
Packaged: 2017-10-25 14:50:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/271518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladygray99/pseuds/ladygray99
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Charlie is becoming something new and he needs to stop it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Becoming Something

  
Charlie hit his alarm then reached for his sunscreen. Even the shreds of late afternoon light slipping under the curtains felt oppressive. He wondered what would happen, long term, without the sunscreen. He knew he wouldn’t burst into flames but the burn was nasty. He wondered if creatures like him could get melanomas. Would he just end up a giant immortal skin cancer?

He stumbled down stairs, his stomach already grumbling. It wasn’t as bad as it was at the start but it was never pleasant. The knowledge that his breakfast was only going take the edge off the hunger didn’t help. At least he figured out how to microwave blood without coagulating it last week. It was much better warm.

Don was kicked back in front of the TV watching the news. “Morning, Sunshine,” he called out.

Charlie just grumbled at him.

“Aww. Someone wake up on the wrong side of the coffin?”

Charlie gave his brother the finger as he wandered into the kitchen. He went through the now familiar routine of carefully warming some of the cattle blood that was always in the fridge, then mixing in a double shot of espresso, not too hot. He still couldn’t figure out why caffeine still had an effect on him when so many other chemicals didn’t.

He went back out and sat down next to Don knowing full well Don hated the smell of the coffee blood. Charlie waved it under his nose. “Want a sip?”

Don made a gagging sound. Charlie just chuckled and drank his breakfast. He tried to do it without his fangs dropping. It was one of many things he was still learning how to control.

Don flicked off the news. “So, how’d your covert MRI go last night? Anything weird?”

“Define weird, Don. Really. This is all weird.”

“Okay, anything weirder?”

“Well,” Charlie took another sip of his breakfast. “My bones are remodeling.”

“They’re what?”

“As far as Larry and I can tell the bone marrow is long gone. No surprise there. But they’re starting to change shape. They’re going kind of porous like bird bone, but also developing latitudinal ridging, I guess to keep the strength or something.”

Don nodded slowly. “Okay,” he said slowly. “That is weird.”

“And I’ll be damned if I know how it’s happening. I mean I can’t be getting a lot of calcium from this.” Charlie shook his cup a little.”

“You’re asking the wrong person, buddy.”

“I know.” Charlie downed the rest of his breakfast. “How are things going on your end? Any luck finding the thing that made me this?”

Don frowned and shook his head. “Not really. That fingerprint we got off your phone matched up to a partial from a homicide in France about five years ago but…”

Charlie growled and Don leaned back. Charlie forgot that he actually could growl now.

“Honestly, if we find this thing what are you going to say? It’s not going to be able to change you back, I’m sure of that. And as for the rest, you’re managing okay. You’ve got your special sunglasses, industrial strength sunscreen, and that butcher across town thinks you really like blood pudding.”

Charlie growled again. He’d tried to explain it to Don but Don just didn’t get it. Yes, he’d figured out a way around some of the little problems but Don didn’t understand the desperate cravings. The need to hunt and kill that was always under his skin now. It wasn’t just his body that was transforming it was his brain. Whereas before he believed in law and order now he had the urge to find every criminal before Don did, have a little snack, and save the taxpayer a fortune.

Don leaned back a little more. “Don I need to figure out how to reverse this, or halt it, or something, because if I don’t I am going to kill someone. One of these days we’re going to be chasing after a child molester, or terrorist, or something and the computer is going to spit out a name, and instead of giving it to you I am going to go on the hunt myself, and I’m going to break in these pretty new fangs of mine, and I’m going to have a really good meal.” Charlie could feel his fangs drop. “And then you will have to come after me.”

Don swallowed hard. Charlie could hear Don’s heart race and smell the blood under his skin.

“I’m doing my best, buddy. I promise.”


End file.
